How to Train for Your First Push-Up: A Simple Guide

Push-ups are an excellent exercise that builds strength in your arms, chest, shoulders, and core. Best of all, you can do them almost anywhere, without needing any special equipment. If you're working toward doing your first push-up, don’t worry—it’s totally achievable with the right approach. This guide will take you step by step through how to train for your first push-up.

What is a Push-Up?

A push-up is a bodyweight exercise where you use your arms to push your body off the ground. To perform a push-up, you begin lying face down with your hands flat on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. From there, you push your body up, keeping it straight from head to heels, and then lower yourself back down.
Push-ups strengthen your:
Chest
Shoulders
Arms (especially triceps)
Core muscles (stomach and back)
Additionally, push-ups improve endurance and contribute to overall strength.

Step 1: Build Core Strength

Before you start working on push-ups, it's crucial to build a strong core. Your core muscles—including the stomach, back, and hips—help keep your body straight during a push-up.
To build core strength, start with planks. Here's how to do a plank:
Get into a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
Keep your body straight from head to heels.
Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, keeping your core engaged.
Rest, then repeat 3-5 times.
As your core gets stronger, aim to hold the plank longer. This will help improve your push-up form later on.

Step 2: Practice Wall Push-Ups

Wall push-ups are a great place to start because they reduce the weight on your arms, allowing you to focus on the movement without overstraining.
How to do wall push-ups:
Stand a few feet away from a wall.
Place your hands flat on the wall at shoulder height, slightly wider than your shoulders.
Keep your body straight and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the wall.
Push yourself back to the starting position.
Start by doing 10-15 wall push-ups. As you get stronger, gradually increase the number of repetitions.

Step 3: Move to Knee Push-Ups

Once you feel comfortable with wall push-ups, transition to knee push-ups. These are more challenging but still easier than full push-ups, as they reduce the weight on your arms.
How to do knee push-ups:
Get into a push-up position, but rest your knees on the floor.
Keep your body straight from your head to your knees.
Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows.
Push yourself back up to the starting position.
Start with 8-10 knee push-ups and aim to increase the number as you get stronger, ensuring that your body stays in a straight line throughout.

Step 4: Practice Negative Push-Ups

Negative push-ups focus on the lowering phase of the exercise, which is key to building strength for full push-ups.
How to do negative push-ups:
Start in the top position of a push-up with your body straight.
Slowly lower your body to the ground, taking 3-5 seconds to descend.
Once you reach the floor, push back up with your knees or stand up and repeat.
Negative push-ups help you control your body and strengthen the muscles needed for a full push-up.

Step 5: Full Push-Up Practice

After mastering wall, knee, and negative push-ups, you’re ready to try a full push-up! Here's how:
Get into the starting position: hands flat on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your feet together.
Keep your body straight from head to heels.
Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
Push yourself back up to the starting position.
If you can only manage one push-up at first, that’s perfectly fine. Continue practicing the other variations to build strength, and soon you'll be able to do more.

Tips for Success

Focus on form: Always keep your body straight and your core engaged. Avoid letting your hips sag or your butt rise.
Progress gradually: Building strength takes time. Don’t rush it—add more repetitions or progress to harder push-up variations as you get stronger.
Take rest when needed: Allow your muscles time to recover. Rest between push-up sessions to prevent overuse and ensure steady progress.

Conclusion

Doing your first push-up might seem like a tough challenge, but with consistent practice, it's absolutely achievable. Start with easier variations like wall and knee push-ups, then gradually work your way up to a full push-up. Focus on maintaining good form and building strength in your core along the way. With dedication, you’ll soon be able to do a push-up with confidence!

Michael Acanfora DC
Director of Chiropractic